Alan F. List, MD, of Moffitt Cancer Center and the University of South Florida, and James O. Armitage, MD, FACP, FRCP, of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, discuss the biology and diagnostic criteria for myelodysplastic syndrome, as well as advances in the disease presented at the 56th ASH Annual Meeting.
Bertrand Coiffier, MD, PhD, of Centre Hospitalier Lyon-Sud, offers his thoughts on abstract 393, “R-CHOP With or Without Radiotherapy in Nonbulky Limited-Stage Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma: Preliminary Results of the Prospective Randomized Phase III 02-03 Trial from the Lysa/Goelams Group,” presented by Thierry Lamy, MD, PhD.
Richard M. Stone, MD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, offers his thoughts on abstract LBA-5, “A Randomized Phase II Study of Azacitidine Combined With Lenalidomide or With Vorinostat vs Azacitidine Monotherapy in Higher-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndromes and Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia: North American Intergroup Study SWOG S1117,” presented by Mikkael A. Sekeres, MD, MS.
Hagop Kantarjian, MD, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, offers his thoughts on abstract 380, “T Cells Engineered with a Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-Targeting CD19 (CTL019) Have Long Term Persistence and Induce Durable Remissions in Children With Relapsed, Refractory ALL,” presented by Stephan A. Grupp, MD, PhD; abstract 381, “Intent-to-Treat Results of a Phase I Trial of CD19 Chimeric Antigen Receptor Engineered T Cells Using a Consistent Treatment Regimen Reveals a 67% Complete Response Rate in Relapsed, Refractory Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia,” presented by Daniel W. Lee III, MD; and abstract 382, “CD19-Targeted 19-28z CAR Modified Autologous T Cells Induce High Rates of Complete Remission and Durable Responses in Adult Patients With Relapsed, Refractory B-Cell ALL,” presented by Jae H. Park, MD.
Hagop Kantarjian, MD, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, offers his thoughts on abstract 379, “BLAST: A Confirmatory, Single-Arm, Phase II Study of Blinatumomab, a Bispecific T-Cell Engager (BiTE) Antibody Construct, in Patients With Minimal Residual Disease B-Precursor Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia,” and abstract 3704, “An Evaluation of Molecular Response in a Phase II Open-Label, Multicenter Confirmatory Study in Patients With Relapsed/Refractory B-Precursor Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Receiving Treatment With the BiTE Antibody Construct Blinatumomab,” presented by Nicola Gökbuget, MD.
James O. Armitage, MD, FACP, FRCP, of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and Richard M. Stone, MD of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, discuss three clinical trials: different doses of daunorubicin for AML; comparing azacitidine plus lenolidomide to vorinostat vs azacitidine monotherapy in MDS and CMML; and sorafenib vs placebo in addition to standard treatment for AML.
